Light Hearted
by xbetafish
Summary: After the Mark of Mastery Exam, everything returns to normal. And then Darkness returns. Warning: There will be gore.
1. In The Beginning

I am darkness. Sounds cheesy, but I am. Not incarnate, just darkness.

Ever since I was born into this universe, I've sat and watched people. For thousands and thousands of years, I've only watched people, honest. I am not the one who spread myself into their hearts, they stole me away. They stole me and darkness grew and grew until it couldn't be controlled anymore.

I found myself watching a small group of people, watched them change and evolve and grow to hate me with every breath they took. Every time they spoke my name, I wanted to cry. I had done nothing to them. Why did they hate me so?

I wanted to bring them to my castle. I wanted to show them I wasn't so bad. So I rounded up all the friends I could and decided to bring them to my home.

Sora's PoV

The island was the same as it ever was. We had beaten Xemnas, all the nobodies, and we were home. Kairi was stroking my hair, my head in her lap. Riku was standing by the Paupu tree beside us.

Donald and Goofy wrote from time to time. We would find notes in bottles around the island. I made sure to always write back. I really missed them.

Mom was glad to have me home, hopefully permanently this time. Kairi and Riku were always over for dinner… and Mom always burnt the food. We wound up getting pizza more times than I could count.

I wondered, while Kairi's hand came to a rest on my head, how my other friends were doing. How were Leon and Yuffie? And had Cloud ever found his light? And… There were others, but I couldn't remember their names. One was… She had dark hair… And there was a redhead who got on my nerves, but I still missed him… What was her name?

I shook my head and sat up. Thinking about them wouldn't change a thing.

I was home.

And I was bored.

Kairi's PoV

The island was the same old island, albeit a bit more lively now that I had the two of them home. I smiled at Sora as I stroked his spiky hair. Honestly, how much gel did he need to use in the morning? It didn't feel gelled, but it had to be. I smirked, but quickly hid the smirk as he glanced up at me. He was probably too lost in thought to notice the smirk, but when was he not?

I frowned. He was always thinking about the other places he had been. His head was never at home, with his mother and friends… Or with me. He said I had been all he thought about while out in the worlds, but now that he was home…

Everything was messed up since that day, years ago. I couldn't remember a whole lot. There was one big gap in my head, but I did remember some things. There was a boy I was watching, with Caramel colored hair. He had friends. I remembered them well. They were very kind to me, Hayner, Pence and Ollette, but that didn't change the fact that I shouldn't have remembered watching them before I had ever laid eyes on them.

I giggled. Pence and Hayner had been particularly eager to help me. Ollette seemed to want me gone, but she was way too nice to ever say it.

Sora quickly sat up, shaking his head. Whatever he had been thinking about had turned out to be not in his favor. He would be in a grumpy mood for the rest of the day.

I sighed. I wanted him to be happy, like we were before. But I didn't think that could happen on the island or at home.

Well, we were supposed to go to his house for dinner anyway. His mother was destined to burn another casserole. We were destined to order out again. Always the same on the island.

Riku's PoV

The lovebirds were cuddled up on the Paupu tree. I hadn't been interested in Kairi for a long time, but still, seeing them together… I would never admit to Sora I was jealous of him, not for all the Money in the worlds. It wasn't even that it was Kairi. It was just… Whatever. Sora had even asked me if it was okay before he asked Kairi out. What was I supposed to say? I didn't have feelings towards her, so it didn't make sense to say no.

I rolled my eyes as she petted his head like a dog. That's all he was. A scatterbrained dog. If you give him something shiny that makes a sound, he'll be entertained for days.

Stop! I quickly shook my head and shook off the feeling. That was… That wasn't me. Even in my own head, would I ever be safe from… I shivered. I didn't want to think about him. He… At least in my own head, I could admit I was afraid. He controlled me. I didn't want to hurt Sora. Or Kairi. Poor Sora… He must have gone through so much. I put him through so much.

Sora sat up and huffed. Something had upset him. I wondered what it was. He would never tell me, of course. I doubted if he would even tell Kairi what was on his mind.

_He would tell Donald or Goofy_, I thought bitterly.

No, stop!

I took a very deep breathe and let it out slowly, shuddering.

_My heart is my own. My heart is my own_.

I shouldn't have had this many problems with it. I had it locked away.

What if while I was relaxing, being home…


	2. Stuff Happens Here

They looked… so bored…

I watched them in the looking glass. They looked bored out of their wits. Well, the spiky-haired one did, anyway. He looked like his life should have been an adventure but it wasn't turning out like it was supposed to. He fascinated me. I wondered why he was so bored. The red haired girl obviously adored him and the silver haired boy looked up to him. So why…? The red head looked content. Peaceful. The silver haired kid looked nervous sometimes, but much happier than the spiky haired kid. And what was with his shorts?

I made a face at the looking glass. I didn't like that kid.

He hated me too.

I turned away from the looking glass. I was tired of questioning why they hated me so much. Maybe it was my fault somehow, but I had never even met any of them. My stomach felt all queasy.

I looked in a different looking glass and saw a magnificent, colorful castle. A mouse wearing a crown was whistling something. I liked the way it sounded, whatever it was.

He was the king that was charged with keeping peace in all the worlds.

He didn't… Like me either… But he looked kind.

"I bet he won't mind me." I smiled at him and his beautiful queen. I wanted to meet them so bad.

I made up my mind. I would meet them first. Then maybe I would have a better time meeting the other three. Although… His other friends… The duchess and the royal magician and the captain of the knights… They might be tougher.

I smiled and shook my head. They might be super nice, too.

Sora's PoV

I watched Kairi help Mom make food. This time, Mom let her help. Hopefully, the food wouldn't be too bad.

Kairi was wearing a cute blue dress she had borrowed from Chappu's girlfriend. It was longer than the ones she normally wore and it looked awesome. Somehow, she could do that. She could just pull off everything she put on. No other girl could do that.

Riku was watching Kair… No, wait, he was watching the food. I smiled. He looked ready to jump in and ask my mom to sit down and take a break, let him and Kairi do the cooking tonight. He glanced over to me like he was asking permission to do it and I gave him the tiniest of nods.

Instantly, he sprang to his feet.

"Ma, why don't you let me and Kairi cook tonight." He smiled and gently rested his hand on her shoulders. Everyone called my mom some kind of maternal name. Riku happened to prefer 'ma'.

"Yeah, Momma," Kairi joined in, probably hoping to save the stir fry before she really got her claws into it. "You've been cooking for us the last few nights, let us cook for you."

Mom laughed. "Well, if you two insist! Sora, why don't you do things like this more often?"

I rolled my eyes. Of course she would say that. I wish I could have told her about the things I had done. Saved the universe a couple of times, life and death situations. She would look at Riku and then to me and say 'why can't you be like him'.

Whatever.

I leaned back, my hands on the back of my head, and I relaxed. I had saved the worlds, after all. I smiled at Kairi. Somehow, she read my mind and looked back to smile at me. A better girl did not exist on this or any other world.

Kairi's PoV

I was helping Momma with the food tonight, hoping something would be salvageable. I glanced back at Riku and Sora. Sora was lost in thought, and Riku was staring at the vegetables I was cutting up for the stir fry. He looked about to jump in and keep Momma from cooking tonight, and I really wished he would.

Sora seemed better when all three of us were together. There was something that hadn't been right about him since they had gotten home from the Mark of Mastery exam. Riku passed. Sora didn't. That didn't seem to be what was upsetting him though, as he had proudly paraded Riku to me and started explaining everything that had happened before Riku even had a chance to breathe or say hello. I was so excited to see Sora again, I guess I really hadn't helped much. I had been so pent up between school and the island, nothing really to do. I had actually began playing around with one of their old toy swords. Wakka even joined in, picking up his old, worn Blitz ball. I thought it had been Sora's sword, considering how banged up it was, but it might have been Tidus's. Both practiced against each other, in the hopes of beating Riku. I think Sora only ever beat Riku once, though.

Riku finally jumped out of his chair and told Momma to take a break, let us do the cooking. We were pretty good cooks with all the times we had made food for her instead of having to pretend to enjoy whatever burnt concoctions she had come up with. Momma thanked us and playfully asked Sora why he couldn't cook for her like we did. Sora didn't seem to take it well.

Riku's PoV

Ma was about to start cooking the stir fry. She was going to burn the stir fry. If there was one thing I could not choke down, out of all the things I had ever eaten that she had burned, stir fry was it. There was something just so wrong about burnt stir fry. Jegus, I had to do something.

I looked at Sora. He was watching me.

He did that a lot lately, watch me. Or Kairi. He would just get very quiet and watch us, occasionally stopping mid conversation to look at Kairi or me. It was sometimes very… unnerving…

He nodded at me, as if reading my mind about the food. I leapt up before she could reach for the veggies.

"Ma, why don't you let me and Kairi cook tonight." I offered, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She looked unsurprised and blushed a little. I think she knew that we didn't like her cooking a whole lot. She didn't seem to mind it too much, though. She glanced into the next room at the bookshelf she had been gradually working her way through before thanking me and Kairi and gently ribbing Sora about not doing something like offering to cook. She wandered off.

Ouch. Sora hated when Ma compared the two of us. I knew she favored Sora and was only teasing, but it really hurt his feelings for her to say things like that. We had been best friends and rivals all our lives and to be compared like that… It sucked.

I got the same thing, my own mom asking me why I couldn't be more like Sora, but Sora seemed to take it a lot worse than I did. He looked really hurt.

I tossed some veggies into the wok and barely paid attention to them as I stared at Sora. I had cooked this dish enough times to do it blindfolded.

Sora finally looked at me. I playfully stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed and did that thing where he relaxed and placed both his hands on the back of his head. His bright eyes twinkled.

Yeah, I got your back, brother.


	3. Among the Reckless Wonders

I found my way into a small garden, traveling through the Darkness to do so. It didn't look like the Disney Castle garden I had seen in my looking glass.

"Maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere." I crossed my arms and paused to think in front of the big tower. It looked magical, each stone shimmering in the setting sun.

"Who're you?"

I turned around to see who was talking. A cute tall guy with bright red hair was looking at me.

"Who, me?" I said in a small voice. I was nervous. This was not the person I had gone looking to meet. He was tall and confident and I was intimidated.

"I don't see anybody else around." He motioned around us with his hands in grand gestures.

"I, uh, well, I think I'm a little lost." I stammered.

"You look scared as a mouse." He scratched his head. "Why don't you come inside for a little while? I don't think Master Yen Sid will mind a visitor."

"Master who?" I asked timidly.

"Master Yen Sid. Got it memorized?" He tapped a gloved finger on his temple.

"S-sorry…" I flushed red with embarrassment.

He looked kind of sorry for making me blush. "Well, er, I'm Lea. Got it, uh…" He stopped short.

I knew he was going to say 'memorized', I had watched his lips form the 'M' before he cut himself off. I offered my name to him instead.

"I'm Darc." I smiled, the embarrassed blush leaving my cheeks.

"Nice to meet you. Kind of an odd name, isn't it?" He squinted at me.

I brushed my white hair out of my eyes. "Is it?"

"Er," This time, _he_ blushed. "Come on, then."

I giggled. His blush was cute.

We entered the tower and climbed to the top in silence. It didn't seem that big, although I could feel deep magic inside.

Lea's Master was an old, grumpy looking man in a wizard cap. He had a long, grey beard. I could tell he was powerful just by looking at him.

"Master, this is Darc. She seems to have gotten herself lost." Lea introduced us.

I curtsied.

He looked surprised that I was so formal. "Where are you headed, young Darc?"

"I was trying to find my way to Disney Castle." I said honestly. He was the kind of man I had no desire to lie to. He would probably be able to tell if I lied anyway, and that wouldn't get me anywhere.

"You are a long ways off." He said, moving to put a thick book bound in purple leather back onto a shelf. "Disney Castle is a whole other world away."

"Should have taken that left turn." I muttered to myself.

He looked at me curiously, like I was something to be examined. I half-expected him to know who I was. But, then again, I was older than he was and nobody really knew who I was anyway. His curious stare began to make me feel uncomfortable, though.

"Lea, why don't you take her there?" Master Yen Sid motioned to Lea. "But be very careful. It is easy to get lost in the Darkness."

"I know." Lea nodded. "I lived there for a long time, remember?"

The old master nodded. "Give the King my fondest greetings."

"Will do." Lea saluted the old man before opening the door and motioning for me to follow.

I closed the door behind us. "You lived in the Darkness?"

"Pretty much. Kinda became my home for a while." He answered.

Once we were outside again, he opened a portal to the Darkness.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." He promised me.

I laughed, unable to help myself.

"What's so funny?" He half-smiled uncertainly.

"Oh, nothing." I skipped into the Darkness. Like it could scare me.

Sora's PoV

I went to the island early that morning and laid in the sand. Kairi and Riku wouldn't be here for a few hours yet. I just wanted to sleep, away from town. In peace.

I closed my eyes.

When I opened them, I was being stared at by a girl. She had white hair, pale skin. She was wearing a blackish purple dress that made her look even more pale than she probably was. Her eyes were pink, like the pink diamond necklace I had seen in Nana's jewelry box as a kid.

I jumped and sat up. How did that girl get to the island? I looked around. I was not on the island.

"How did you get here?" Her voice was small, quiet.

"I dunno." I looked around. I was surrounded by Darkness.

"I feel like you shouldn't be here." She crouched down beside me.

"Who're you?" I asked her.

She seemed reluctant to answer.

"I'm Sora." I offered her a smile and my hand.

She still looked like I was about to kick her puppy.

"Darc!" A familiar voice was shouting for her. "You can't just go running off into the Darkness like that! Where are you? Master Yen Sid'll have my head on a platter if I lose you out here!" He sighed. "Some keyblade master I'm gonna be…"

Was that… Axel? No, Axel was whole again. He was Lea now.

"I'll send you back this time, but you'll have to find your own way back home next time." The girl's eyes trembled when she looked at me.

"You look scared." I said.

"You scare me." She answered.

She placed her hand over my heart and my eyes closed as I fell asleep again. Lea's voice was in the background for only a second longer.

When I opened my eyes and yawned, Kairi was standing over me holding three blue ice cream bars. I sat up again.

"Sheesh, Kairi!" My hand went to cover my heart as if it could calm the thing down. It was beating hard.

"Snoozing again?" She grinned.

Her grin was sunshine.

I shook my head. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to wake up." Riku said seriously. "Look."

In his hand was a glass bottle. On the note inside was the King's seal.

Kairi's PoV

I woke when the sun rose. I dressed in my favorite tank top and purple skort, hoping that Sora would like them. He would never say he didn't, but I wanted him to like them anyway.

I ate breakfast quickly and hurried out to the docks. Sora's boat was already gone.

"You're up early." Riku's voice said behind me.

I turned and smiled at him. "You too."

He looked at the boats, noting that Sora's was gone. "I'm not interrupting some early-morning date, am I?"

"Oh, no. I don't know why he's there so early." I shrugged.

"Why don't we get him some ice cream, to surprise him?" He offered.

"That sounds like a great idea!" I nodded and grinned. Although early, Sora was always up for ice cream.

"There's this new ice cream place in town run by this funny guy I met in Radiant Gardens. I think you'll like it." He smiled.

We went to town and wandered around, trying to find this new shop. It was a queer place, the furniture was all duck themed. The man who owned it was called Scrooge McDuck. He and his nephews were running the place. We got three 'seasalt' ice cream bars.

"If we hurry, we can get to the island before they get too hot and melt." Riku held both his and Sora's.

"Mm." I nodded enthusiastically.

We ran to the boats and Riku and I took one together. I held all three ice creams while he rowed us towards our happy little home.

Riku's PoV

I met up with Kairi and we went to the new ice cream shop to surprise Sora. He had been acting so weird, maybe some ice cream would do him some good. I wound up rowing the boat, of course. Kairi was just as lazy as Sora was when it came to things like that, but I didn't mind rowing for either of them. She held onto the ice cream, pretending to lick all three as they started to melt down onto her fingers.

We got to the island and whaddaya know, he's passed out on the beach.

"Sora, you lazy bum." Kairi started over without even giving me my ice cream.

She dripped some ice cream onto his face and he woke up.

"Sheesh, Kairi!" He sat up in a hurry.

I stopped paying them any mind, already tired of their cupcake-relationship. It was too sweet for me.

I sat down on the dock. I'd wait until Kairi gave me my ice cream. Patience seemed easy around those two. I could have waited forever.

And they would have kept me waiting forever too.

Ah, no! Shut up!

I shook my head. Why wasn't it locked up?

A bottle smacked against the docks, stirring me from my thoughts. I pulled it out of the water and found it was from one of my best friends.

"Time for you to wake up." I walked over to Sora. "Look." I held up the bottle.

His mouth popped open, but there was a new twinkle in his eyes that wasn't there, even when Kairi was doting all over him.

I took my ice cream when she offered it to me. Sora licked his before asking me to read the note and he stopped.

"Salty… and sweet." He smiled.

I felt like that meant something more than just describing the flavor. It sure was a strange one. Maybe that was why we all liked it so much.


	4. King of Kings

I trailed behind Lea. Once he had found me, he again vowed to not let me out of his sight. This, however, was not because of me, as he stammered and made sure I understood, but because of Master Yen Sid. The old codger would make him carry water all day and night for weeks if he found out that Lea had let me wander off. I simply laughed and promised to stick by him.

Still, that guy. How he had ever wound up in the darkness, I would never know. I didn't want Lea to find him for some reason. I had to send him back quickly to where he came. He frightened me more in real life than he did in the mirror, I was ashamed to find out. To see me, he didn't look at me unkindly, but if he found out…

"Hey Lea…" I started.

"That's my name." He smiled back at me.

"What are you training under Yen Sid for?" I asked.

"I'm training to become a Keyblade Master." He grinned proudly. "Wanna see?"

"Sure. What's a Keyblade?" I smiled at his enthusiasm.

He held out his arm. A long, red sword materialized itself in his hand in a burst of flame.

"This is a Keyblade." He held it out in front of me before keeping it at his side while we walked.

He didn't even notice when I took it from him and held it in my own hands. What a weird sword. Beautiful. It seemed special to Lea to become a Keyblade Master. What was so special about a Keyblade? Couldn't those other three use these things too?

"Huh?" He looked at his hand. "H-hey!" He spun around to see me holding it. "That's… Weird…"

"Hm?" I offered it back. "What's weird? That I was so sneaky?" I grinned at him.

"No, actually. That you can hold it without it… Never mind." He took it and smiled at me because it seemed to him to be what I wanted. "We're here anyway."

The Darkness let out into a light, almost shiny room. The King and his friends were talking, but stopped to stare at us. I hid behind Lea, trying not to tremble.

"Gosh, Lea," The king smiled at him. "You coulda told us you were comin'."

"Well, I hadn't planned on being here, actually. Found a friend lost. She was on her way to see you."

He moved just far enough out of the way for the King to see me. I flinched and hid behind him again. What if the King didn't like me?

"Aw, it's okay." Lea laughed at me gently, trying not to hurt my feelings.

I looked up at him, knowing that my eyes were big.

"What'sa matter? Didn't you want to meet him?"

"I, well, um…"

"Well, hi!" The King's squeaky voice was beside me and I jumped away. "I'm Mickey. What can I do for you?"

Those words were so kind. My fears melted away just as quickly as they had appeared.

"You, you're all about fighting the Darkness, right?" I glanced between him and Lea. Lea was curious as to where I was going.

"Well, when Darkness threatens one of the worlds, I can't help but go looking to save it." Mickey looked confused by my question.

"But what about pure darkness. What would you do about that?" I knelt down in front of him so we were at eye level.

"Gosh, I don't really understand." He scratched his head.

"You… Don't, do you… Um, well, feel here." I quickly took his hand and placed it on my chest.

He closed his eyes almost automatically. I closed mine too.

"Fellas," Mickey said after a moment. "I need a minute alone with her."

"Your Majesty…" The wizard didn't look to certain.

"I'll stay." Lea offered to console the wizard and the captain.

The wizard and the captain left the room. The captain watched me curiously. I could tell he was really simple, but probably the most kind one.

The door closed and we three were left in his study.

Mickey looked uncertain. "When you said pure Darkness…" His hand left my chest, where my heart was.

"I meant me." I nodded and sat, criss cross applesauce in the middle of the floor.

"You can't really be… A person can't be made all of Darkness… Can they?" He shook his head.

Lea was staring at me. I looked back at him and smiled. He didn't stop staring.

"What would you do if I was?" I swallowed dryly, beginning to feel nervous again.

"Well, are you gonna try and fill this world with darkness?" He asked me. One of his hands distanced itself from his body, and I began to think that he had something like Lea's Keyblade too.

"Why would I do that?" I was shocked at the accusation. "What do you mean? How do you fill a world with Darkness?"

He paused and stared at me. "You don't know how? You don't use the Darkness?"

"No, I am Darkness. The only Darkness I use is to travel between worlds." I shook my head.

"Well, if that's the case, then I don't see what the problem is." A beautiful mouse in a pink dress walked through the door.

The Queen.

I bowed.

"Oh dear, you don't have to be so formal." She giggled.

"Minnie…" Mickey didn't look so certain.

"A person's heart is made up of both light and darkness. She can't just be darkness, and if she wanted to fill the world with Darkness, don't you think she would have done so by now?" Queen Minnie stood beside me. "Darkness is anger, hatred, wrath. I don't feel any of these things from this girl."

"Your majesty, I was created from the Darkness." I elaborated. "I don't know anything about the Light. Lived in the Darkness all my life."

"Darkness?" The knight was standing outside the door.

"Darkness?! Your Majesty!" The Wizard burst through the door, no doubt hearing the whole conversation. Eavesdropper. He waved his wand and I felt a bolt of electricity pass through my system.

I screamed and fell to the ground. I wasn't strong like they were. I couldn't take a hit and keep going. Why did he hit me? I wasn't going to do anything.

"Donald!" Lea shouted. "What are you doing?!"

He stared down at me, twitching on the ground, crying.

Lea drew his Keyblade. He would defend me?

"Donald, what are you doing?!" Minnie waved her hand and the duck became still. She turned to me. Mickey was standing over me, trying to look at where I was hit.

"I j-just wanted to be friends…" I cried. "I'm s-sorry!"

I opened a portal into the Darkness and let it cocoon me. Take me away, take me anywhere. Just not here.

"Darc!" Lea shouted, trying to dive in after me.

I closed it before he could follow. I just wanted to be alone. Just alone.

I curled into a ball. The pain ebbed away. Other than that, I was unharmed.

Physically.

Sora's PoV

Nothing had happened. The note wasn't even from King Mickey. It was from Queen Minnie, actually. Mickey's birthday was coming up and she wanted us all to be there.

That meant shopping with Kairi and Riku.

I followed along behind them as we walked around the shops.

"What do you get a King for his birthday?" Kairi wondered aloud.

"I'm sure he would like anything." Riku smiled, dreamily wondering what to get. He and Mickey had gotten pretty close. It had been a long time since they had seen each other.

Then I realized something.

"I get to see Donald and Goofy!" I exclaimed.

They laughed at me.

"Of course, silly." Kairi continued to giggle. Her giggle was so cute.

"What, you thought they weren't gonna be there?" Riku shook his head, playfully pushing me.

"Hey, what about something like this?" Kairi held up a small, black jacket that looked like it would fit Mickey perfectly. It was from the children's clothes, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"He'd love it." Riku promised.

"Then I'll get it." She grinned. "So what are you two gonna get him?"

I shrugged. I would know what it was when I saw it.

Riku shook his head. He kinda looked like he had a headache.

"You okay?" I asked, feeling a little worried.

"Yeah, I just need some water." He smiled. "You two go on ahead. I'll catch up at the island later, okay?"

"Okay!" Kairi eagerly nodded and pulled out the Money to pay for the little jacket.

Riku turned and walked away. I felt anxious. Something was wrong.

He would probably tell Mickey, I muttered in my head.

Nah, whatever it is, he'd tell us later. I smiled and put my arm around Kairi.

"Come on, help me find something!" I said eagerly.

She smiled and put her little arm around my waist, and we went to the next shop.

Kairi's PoV

Sora was so happy to have a chance to see Donald and Goofy again. I was too. I missed all of them.

We stopped and talked with Tidus and his girlfriend for a while. I couldn't remember what her name was, but she was super nice. Somehow related to Wakka and Chappu, I was pretty sure, although she sure didn't look it. She looked a little more like Chappu's girlfriend than the boys.

I treated Sora to ice cream again, since he liked the last one so well. He dragged me to the town park and we sat by the fountain.

"You still haven't found anything." I reminded him.

"Yeah." He licked the blue bar. "I know. Whatta you think I should get him?"

"I dunno. You could get him an accessory." I offered an answer.

"Moogle!" He looked excited again. "I could go have one made at a Moogle shop!"

"Uh, yeah, but there's only one in town and do you even have synthesis stuff?" I asked him.

"Uh…" He paused. "Well… I think I still have some in my room."

I laughed. "Well, let's go take a look before the shops close."

He dragged me off again. I wondered if I would ever be able to keep up with him. Always running around eagerly. Hadn't changed since he left home. I tried to imagine a calmer, more collected Sora, but I just couldn't. And I kinda didn't want to. Seeing how Riku changed, it almost scared me.

Sora dug through every drawer he had, collecting all the synthesis items he had brought home. Then we went to the Moogle shop.

"Man, I thought I had more than that." Sora complained.

"I imagine you used it all making that fancy Keyblade of yours." I rolled my eyes.

He turned pink. "Well, uh…"

"You can make a Dark Charm, kupo!" The Moogle seemed too excited to be synthesizing. He must not have gotten many people into his shop.

"Think he'd like that?" Sora looked at me.

"Sora, he's gonna like anything you get him." I smiled. He seemed so insecure. Goes to save the world, no problem. Buy his friend a gift, no idea.

"That's perfect then." He still looked unsure.

The Moogle was so happy to synthesize he didn't even take Sora's extra synthesis items. We left the shop and almost ran into Riku as he walked by with a girl.

He wasn't paying attention, even when Sora started shouting for him. I had a feeling something was up with that girl, but I didn't say anything.

Riku's PoV

I got away from them as quickly as I could. I just needed a minute alone to get the Darkness in check, just a minute. That was all. I sat down in an alley on top of an old box and breathed slowly. I cleared my head and checked the mental locks. All were in place. So why did I feel out of control?

I just sat for a while, just focusing on breathing. I felt like I was going to be sick. I put my head between my legs and closed my eyes.

I heard someone crying. I opened my eyes and looked around. Nobody.

Then a portal into the Darkness opened and a person flew out, landing hard on the pavement.

I was stunned for a second. Then I ran to her.

She was crying so hard she was choking on her own sobs, curled up and refusing to move. I knelt in front of her and saw that she had been attacked recently.

"Who hurt you?" I demanded.

She looked up at me with wide, pink crystal eyes before squeaking and scrambling away from me. She was shaking, terrified.

"It's okay." I held up my hands. "I won't hurt you. Promise."

She didn't believe me. I sat down across from her and watched her, like she was a hurt kitten.

Slowly, she calmed down. Her eyes were red and puffy, and it was obvious that she had been crying for a long time before she ever exploded out of the Darkness.

"I'm Riku." I offered my name.

"I know who you are." She said quietly. "You're a… What did he call those things… You're a Keyblade user."

"That's right." I nodded. How did she know? "What else do you know about me?"

"I know that you'll hurt me just like they did!" She shouted at me. "And why shouldn't you? You, of all of them, you hate me the most!"

I flinched at her ferocity. "Hate you? I don't even know you."

"You know me." She looked like she was ready to cry again. "You hate me so much. And it's not even my fault!"

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about." I began to feel almost saddened by her. I couldn't figure out why, though.

"I'm sorry." She came closer. "You… You don't want to hurt me?"

"No." I shook my head. "Honestly, I don't even know who you are."

She offered her hand. When I took it, I felt peaceful. The Darkness that had been plaguing me before just seemed to recede, no questions asked.

"I'm Darc. Lea says it's a funny name." She said quietly. She still looked afraid. Of me.

"Lea?" Axel? "Wasn't he training with Master Yen Sid?"

"Yes. He… Helped me out." She nodded. Sheesh, even her nods looked timid.

"I, uh, don't think it's such a funny name." I tried to wrap my head around the girl named 'Darc'. Like, 'dark'? That was really her name? Who named their kid 'Darc'?

"You're lying." She looked down. "But thank you anyway."

"Why did you go through the Darkness? Are you okay?" I asked, gently as I could. I didn't want to scare her more.

"I always travel through the Roads of Darkness." She shrugged. "I am…"

"You are…?" I waited patiently.

She looked down at her little silver shoes, like she was guilty of something.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

It took a little while, but she seemed to realize I was still holding her hand. She pulled away.

"Where am I?" She looked around.

"A back alley." I answered automatically, too used to talking with Sora.

"No, what World?" She gave me a tiny smile, like she understood.

"Destiny Islands."

"Ah. Not too far from home." She nodded. "I guess I should go. Really not supposed to wind up on the wrong worlds. I get lost a lot." She smiled sheepishly.

"Why don't you stay here a while?" I offered, feeling myself turn pink.

She looked shocked. "You want me to?"

"Sure." I nodded. "You can stay at my house. Or we could go out to the island together."

"_The_ island?" She asked with a small laugh. "Isn't this whole world made up of islands?"

"Well yeah." I turned a deeper red. "But there's the island that my friends and I usually go to."

"Your friends?" She blanched.

"They're out shopping right now." I quickly said. If she had that reaction to me, I can't imagine how she'd react to Sora. "No way they'll be there. Ah," I remembered. "I have to get Mickey a present for his birthday."

She turned a light shade of green. "Mickey?"

"He's my best friend."

"Is he?"

"Yeah. You know him?"

"I met him." She glanced away. "The encounter did not go as planned. His wizard saw to that."

"Who, Donald?" I asked, confused.

"Nevermind. What were you thinking about getting him? Maybe I have something. I do live on another world, after all. And I doubt he's been to mine." She offered.

"Really?" I wondered.

A world that Mickey hadn't been to. What would be there? I thought he had been to all the worlds. I guess that was a childish assumption, but…

"That would be great." I nodded. "When can we go?"

"Now, if you like." She shyly smiled. "We just need to find a quiet place so I don't mess up and get us lost at a different world. I'm usually really good about getting home."

"In the Darkness?" I felt nervousness clench my stomach.

"Mmhm." She started walking.

I followed after her. A world that even Mickey hadn't been to. Of course, in the back of my mind was a voice saying that this could be a trick. But I didn't think so. She was too timid to trick anybody, much less someone she seemed deathly afraid of.

I wondered what I had done to scare her so badly.


End file.
